The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1887-02-25
No Il
The What Not.


the arrangement of everything. His
air of superiority is 50 perfect, us he
| tells her what he would do to econc-
mize on the household expenses: how
he would make the servants do their
duty, and how he would have all the
work finished in Just two hours. that
it is really edifying.
We know of IL man who said he could
do more work in one day than his wife
could do in three, and | don't believe
any woman ever forgot the result Of
his first and only trial, when he under
took to do the work in the house while
she followed the plow. He gave in
gracefully, and honestly said that she
could do more work in one day than
he could in seven. But the man left
no children. and his race is gone from
the face of the earth. for now no man
will attempt to change occupations
with his wife, in the first place. nor
would he own up to the truth with
such good grace.
All men now content themselves
with finding fault with their wives
management of the household. but
they do not banker after trial of it.
When woman has il sick headache.
and has to give up the reins of govern
ment for Il day to the husband, he
shows his superior capacity by letting
the children run riot, by spelling ev-
ervthing he undertakes to do. by max
ing the house look as if the plague Of
the seven wears locusts had all con-
centrated into that one house. and de-
vastated it to utter desolation and
then, when the pale shadow of the suf
fering wife makes her appearance
again, and stands aghast at the dread
full sight, he is actually aggrieved. and
puts his hat on and goes off in fit Of
the sulks. and it takes her at least Il
week to repair the rayages of one day
of absence from the helm.
The careful little wife will 90 to
market, and look about her with far
seeing eyes, and no butcher or other
dealer can shake her resolution in the
question of '.cuts" or other necessities.
She kroHs Just what she wants. and
how much. She may not be able to
keep books by double or twisted entry.
but she knows how much she wants to
spend and what for, and she goes home
with good, wholesome, cheap and suit
able merchandise. each article adapted
to the other. and enough for two or
three days, three meals each. and one
extra meal out of the remainder. She
looks at Joint with view to hash. or
ragout, or pies, or minced meat, or
some future possibilities, and in her
quick brain she mentally divides the
Joint into so much for each member of
the family, and so much to be left
over for something else. She buys her
with clear knowledge of
her subject and can make ten dollars
90 as far as a man can twenty, and
still save herself Il nice silk dress in
season besides,
Watch her husband when he decides
to take the reins of government into
his hands. because his wife is extraya-
CANT. Just see the keen and you-can't-
cheat-me kind of an air which he
adopts. and which the market men
know like book. He isn't going to
be fooled, not he. | will spare the
reader the harassing details, and only
say that when he goes home with his
economy his Mortified wife finds that
he has bought the choicest cuts and
enough of them to last four davs at
least, but that he has got all things
that must be used at least within two
lays, or they will spoil, and the same
way with the vegetables.
He has spent nearly twice lis much
money rs she would have done. and got
, lot of perishable material. and forth
with he gets angry. and SAYS mean
things if she opens her lips in mild
protest. and likely as not gets up and
leaves the house. and eats his meals at
the club.
The real facts of the case are that
whenever Il man grows dissatisfied
with his home under the management
IF his wife there is something wrong.
Either he is extravagant himself, and
wants to curtail the legitimate expenses
IF his family for his own selfish pleas
lres, or he is bilious. and wants good
lose of blue mass, with lots of epecac
thrown in. or his affairs are going bad
", or he is allowing himself to degen-
rate into that most disagreeable Great
lrc. Il cross old man.
There Is no cure, except when the
lnwonted desire for retrenchment comes
from hard times, and then the best
thing to do is to take his wife into his
confidence frankly and fairly. and let
her do the economizing in the house
while he does his share in those things
which men are apt to consider as mere
rrihcs.
The true woman is the best manager
for any household. and though her ar
euments on abstruse subjects are gen
.rally limited to her convictions, and
.becausc" she knows how to manage
and the sensible husband will let her
do it, and praise her for what she has
done; and. above all. not scold for
what she has failed to do. and let him
be sure that in all cases she does better
than he can.